Feeding apparatuses of this type are used, for example, for feeding paper to a cigarette manufacturing machine, feeding tip paper to a filter cigarette manufacturing machine, and feeding paper to a filter-rod manufacturing machine. In an example of a tip paper feeding apparatus, the feeding apparatus has a reservoir box provided on a tip paper feeding path. Tip-paper drawn out from a roll is fed through the reservoir box to a tip paper winding section. When the roll in use comes close to an end, the feeding apparatus draws out the tip paper at a speed higher than a normal speed and stores a predetermined length of the tip paper in the reservoir box. Then, the feeding apparatus stops drawing out the tip paper from the roll, and makes preparations for connecting a new roll while the tip paper is fed from the reservoir box. After finishing the preparations, the feeding apparatus starts drawing out the tip paper from the new roll in a normal manner.
When a web material such as tip paper is made to travel lengthwise as in the above-described manner, the web material tends to oscillate widthwise while it is traveling. This phenomenon is called meandering. When such meandering happens, the tip paper is winded deviating from its intended position, in the winding section. If the deviation is very large, it produces defective filter cigarettes.
In the technical fields which handle the feeding of thick web made of industrial materials such as steel products, there is known a conventional technique in which when a web material meanders, the web material is pushed widthwise to correct the meandering thereof. Specifically, one of the side edges of a traveling web material is pushed widthwise to thereby shift the entire web material widthwise. The introduction of a meandering correction technique like this into an apparatus for feeding tip paper or the like is desired. As a mechanical property, thin paper materials such as tip paper have enough strength against pulling force. However, their strength against pushing force is far lower than their strength against pulling force. Hence, it is difficult to shift the entire tip paper successfully by pushing a side edge of the traveling tip paper widthwise. Also, there is a concern that the pushing force will be concentrated on the side edge and damage the traveling tip paper.
Thus, in the technical field which handles an apparatus for feeding a highly flexible web material such as thin paper or a film, a technique suited to the characteristics of this type of web material needs to be introduced to correct the meandering of the web material. This is a purpose to be achieved.